Instrument support



Nov; 11, 1941.

R. RICHMOND INSTRUMENT SUPPORT Filed Aug. 24,' 1939 M mm WW Q T N am me n M QY R Patented Nov. 11, 1941 INSTRUIVIENT SUPPORT Reid Richmond, Astoria, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to James Jackson, Yonkers, N. .Y.

Application August 24, 1939, Serial No. 291,667

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in instrument supports.

Its object is to provide a simple and efficient device for supporting a musical instrument, such as a saxophone, in playing position.

Such instruments are usually supported by straps over the shoulders of the performer, and the object of my invention is to overcome the disadvantage of such expedients.

More specifically, my invention relates to a device which may be detachably affixed to a chair which serves as a seat for the performer and which is arranged to hold the instrument adjustably in any desired position, thereby relieving the performer from the necessity of holding the instrument and leaving his hands free for better manipulation of the keys.

A further object is to so arrange the device that the performer may move the instrument to a limited degree while playing it, or may clamp it in a fixed position if he desires.

A still further object is to provide for quick detachment of the instrument from the support so that the performer will not be detained when he desires to rise from the chair and go with the instrument to another position such, for example, as near to a microphone.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from the following specification, in which I will describe a preferred embodiment of my invention, the novel features of which will be set forth in appended claims.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved device affixed to a chair with the position of a saxophone indicated by broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the novel instrument support and the chair which are shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional elevations of some of the parts, the sections being taken, respectively, on the lines 4-4 and 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view showing a detail of construction. The section in this figure is taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional front elevation of a part of the device, the section being taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the detachable connection between the instrument and the support. This section is taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

I is a chair, of which ll designates the seat,

I2 the right hand rear leg and I3 the left hand forward leg.

The support comprises a right hand clamping member which has a vertical portion 20 adapted to abut an edge of the chair seat I I, at the upper end of which is an inwardly extending lip 2| which overlies the top of the chair seat. At the lower end of the portion 20 this clamping member is bent at right angles to form an extension 22, the inner end of which is bent downwardly to form a lug 23. 24 is a vertical piece affixed to the portion 20 and extending slightly below it.

The reference numerals 2529 designate similar parts of a left hand clamping member.

30, 3| are parallel cross rods which pass through the part 24 of the right hand clamping member, through the lugs 23, 28 of both clamping members and into a block 32 under the extension 21 of the left hand clamping member. 33 is a threaded rod which engages a threaded hole in block 32 and extends therefrom through the vertical piece 29 of the left hand clamping member. On the outer end of rod 33 is a winged enlargement 34 by means of which the rod may be turned to adjust the relative positions of the two clamping members. By this arrangement the device may be firmly affixed to the chair seat.

To further insure the rigidity of the device, the parts which will now be described are provided. A block 40 is supported on the rods 30,

3| near their outer ends. It may be affixed to the rod 30 by a set screw 4 I. In it is a transverse hole through which passes a threaded rod 42 on which is a wing nut 43. The other end of rod 42 is fiattened and bent, as at 44, to partly encircle the chair leg I2. 45 is a separate piece, similarly bent and connected to the rod 42 by a bolt and wing nut 46. By this arrangement the parts 44, 45 may be clamped onto the chair leg I2 and the nut 43 tightened to make a connection between the rear right hand leg of the chair and the right hand part of the cross rods 30, 3|.

On the other side a connection is made from a block 41 on rod 30 and the left hand forward leg I3 of the chair by a rod 48, one end of which is hooked around the chair leg and the other end of which is threaded and provided with a wing nut 49.

To further increase the rigidity of the structure, a block 50 is placed on the rods 30, 3| between the two clamping members and clamped to one of the rods by a thumb screw 5|. 52 is a vertical screw which passes through a threaded hole in the block. On the lower end of this screw is a knurled head 53 by means of which it may be 65 is a rod which passes through and is adjustably affixed to the spherical member 62 by a set screw 66. The upper part of this rod is bent to reach to the supporting eye H on the saxophone 10 and is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 8, to straddle the eye. 61. is a spring pressed double sliding bolt, one arm of which passes through the bifurcated end of rod 65 and through the eye ll. By pressing on a knob 68 on the other arm of this double bolt, the saxophone may be detached instantly.

Fitted to the lower end of rod 65 is the tubular end 8! of a holder 80 which is secured to the rod in desired position by a" thumb screw 82. The holder is curved to fit under the lower end of the saxophone and extends upwardly under its bell end in the form of bifurcated arms 83 (see Figs. 1 and 2). ,The surfaces of the holder which contact with the instrument may be and preferably are padded.

From the foregoing it may be seen that the entire weight of the instrument is supported by the structure described and held in any desiredposition. The support is as rigid as the chair to which it is attached. Furthermore, when detached from the chair and theparts disassembled, they may be folded together compactly so that they occupy but little space.

Various structural modifications may be made within the spirit and scopeof this invention and I intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims. i

What I claim is:

1. A saxophone support comprising a ball and a socket, means for providing an adjustable pressure between the socket and the ball, a clamp extending from the socket to opposite edges of a chair whereby said socket may be affixed to thechair at one side of the seat thereof near the level of said seat,'said means comprising a pair of oppositely facing clamping members adapted to engage the edges of a chair, seat and extending transversely under the seat, a curved rod extending upwardly and forwardly from the ball, a spring catch near the end of the rod for releasably engaging a part of the supported instrument, and a holder extending downwardly and forwardly from the ball, said holder chair seat.

being shaped to fit lower parts of the instrument.

2. A saxophone support comprising a ball and a socket, means for providing an adjustable pressure between the socket and the ball, a clamp extending from the socket to opposite edges of a chair whereby said socket may be affixed to the chair at one side of the seat thereof near the level of said seat, said means comprising a pair of oppositely facing clamping members adapted to engage the edges of a chair seat and extending transversely under the seat, and a rod extendingfrom each of said clamping members to opposite legs of the chair, a curved rod extending upwardly and forwardly from the ball, a spring catch near the end of the rod for releasably engaging a part of the supported instrument and a holder extending downwardly and forwardly from the ball, said holder being shaped to fit lower parts of the instrument.

3. The combination of a chair having-a seat and a saxophone support, said support having a device at one side of the chair comprising a ball and a socket, adjustable means for providing a pressure between said ball and said socket, an instrument holder adapted to conform to the lower part of a saxophone, said holder extending from said ball and socket device, and a clamp extending from said ball and socket device to the seat of the chair.

4. The combination of a chair having a seat and a saxophone support, said supporthaving a device at one side of the chair comprising a ball and a socket, adjustable means for providing a pressure between said ball and said socket, an instrument holder adapted to conform to the lower part of a saxophone, said holder extending from said ball and socket device, means for adjusting the position of said holder in relation to the ball and socket device, and a clamp extending from said ball and socket device to the seat of the chair.

5. The combination of a chair having a seat and a saxophone support, said support having a device at one side of the chair comprising a ball and a socket, adjustable means for providing a pressure between said ball and said socket, an instrument holder adapted to conform to the lower part of a saxophone, said holder extending from said ball and socket device, means for angularly adjusting the holder in relation to the ball and socket device and means for vertically adjusting the holder in relation to the ball and socket device, and a clamp extending from said ball and socketdevice to the seat of the chair, said clamp having oppositely facing members constructed to engage opposite edges of the REID RICHMOND. 

